FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT GERMS - PAGE 5

It's that time of the year again, when children head off to school for lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic. The upcoming weeks will include essays, history projects and pages of problem solving. But parents will have their share of homework, too. They'll be studying their children's sleeping habits, calculating how much weight is being carried in backpacks and doing a little scientific research on germs. It's all part of helping kids stay healthy so they can learn and grow.

One thing you shouldn't keep in your medicine cabinet is medicine, says Dr. Greg Lyon-Loftus with Mont Alto (Pa.) Family Practice. Changes in heat, humidity and light can destroy the potency of pill or liquid medicines - changes that frequently occur in a bathroom, Lyon-Loftus says. He recommends storing medicine you're keeping for a long time in the refrigerator, which sees little light and usually maintains consistent temperature and humidity. Medicine that will be used quickly can be stored in a linen closet or the bedroom, but away from children.

Thumbs up, thumbs down 1/13 To Maryland Gov. Parris Glendeing, for his proposal to boost state spending in a way that could bring Washinton County an additional $3.1 million for education. Go for it! To Charlie Rowe, a Washington County Big Brother for 20 who also barbecues 7,000 chickens a year for charitable causes. No wonder he was cited by the Baltimore Ravens as an outstanding volunteer in their "Community Quarterback" promotion. To the Pentagon experts who wrote a report saying U.S. agriculture is vulnerable to germ warfare attacks.

By LAURA ERNDE laurae@herald-mail.com They saw X-rays, bedpans and blood pressure cuffs, but the Salem Avenue Elementary first-graders touring Washington County Hospital seemed most fascinated with the tonsils. Yes, real tonsils. Once lodged in someone's throat, now filling up a jelly-sized jar. "This is what your tonsils look like. They're real big because they're filled with those bad germs sometimes," said Carolyn Carder, lab manager at the hospital. Some of the students grimaced.

HAGERSTOWN -- Washington County Public Schools on Wednesday reported its second case of H1N1 flu in 10 days. School system spokesman Richard Wright said officials learned Wednesday that a student at Rockland Woods Elementary School off Sharpsburg Pike south of Hagerstown contracted the virus also known as swine flu. The first case was confirmed Aug. 31 at Conococheague Elementary School. Wright said a letter was sent home with Rockland Woods students Wednesday to notify parents of the precautions that school officials are taking.

The Washington County Health Department reports that it is aware of an influenza-like illness being reported across Washington County. This is consistent with expectations of the public health community because of the H1N1 (swine) strain. Health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say as many as 98 percent of flu cases are the result of the H1N1 strain. So far this new strain of flu causes symptoms similar to the more familiar seasonal flu. Schools, institutions and office settings are particularly vulnerable to the rapid spread of flu. Individuals and families should take steps to minimize their chance of becoming infected.

More information is available at: o www.cdc.gov/swineflu o www.heraldtimesonline.com/htoxtras/swineflu.php CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. -- When a person sneezes, the pressure spews out about 40,000 droplets at 95 mph, Amy Jones, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Health Department, told the Jefferson County Commission Thursday morning. If the person sneezing has swine flu, the germs in the droplets can live up to 48 hours, enough time that they can infect anyone who comes in contact with them.

Tips for cleaning your kitchen In anticipation of spring, many people make a ritual of spring cleaning. When cleaning a kitchen, it's important to remember there's more to the task than producing shiny floors and neatly arranged cupboards. Spring is a great time to target harmful bacteria that can lurk on kitchen surfaces and in your refrigerator. Salmonella, Staphyloccus, E. coli and Listeria are just some of the bacteria that may be hanging out in your kitchen. While you can't see or smell bacteria, they are everywhere, especially in moist environments.

Jefferson County logs another rabies case By DAVE McMILLION / Staff Writer, Charles Town Jefferson County has logged its second rabies case in less than a month. The case involved a woman who was bitten by a rabid cat in the Millville, W.Va., area on Feb. 9, said James Hecker, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Health. The woman, who health officials did not identify, has completed a series of rabies' shots and is doing well, Hecker said. The woman was bitten when she attempted to feed the cat, Hecker said.

tarar@herald-mail.com In a day, a 1,500-pound Holstein cow consumes about 38 pounds of silage, 10 pounds of hay, 27 gallons of water and 38 pounds of grains and other feed. So if all that goes in in a day, then what comes out? It's better than you might think. That same cow is capable, in a day, of producing enough milk for 150 glasses, four pounds of butter, eight pounds of cheese or seven gallons of ice cream, according to an agricultural trailer on display Saturday at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center.